It’s Just Stuff, But It Was MY Stuff

Sat Jul 23 – Sadly, this is my own fault. I completely spaced yesterday. Apparently when I got home from work and parked at the new place, I must have been thinking that I was going to move stuff from the old place to the new. But I got so caught up in installing the wireless router, then enjoying my walk to Borders instead of driving, that I forgot I had left the windows down in my car.

I got up this morning and started taking cute “before” pictures of the apartment, including some shots of what the courtyard looked like and the walkway. I turned around to take a picture of the neighborhood itself, and there was my car parked on the street with the passenger door open. OPEN.

My heart sank. But can you believe the only thing they took was the actual stereo faceplate? They left the stereo in place, left the case you carry it in, but took the faceplate. They didn’t see my bag of my band’s CDs. They didn’t ransack anything. They didn’t rifle through the glove box. They didn’t vandalize the car.

Just a little 1″x1″x6″ piece of electronics, gone. Of no use to them, but I now have to replace my car stereo completely. Car is fine. The rest of my stuff is fine.

I’m an idiot for leaving the car open and forgetting about it completely. But I’m a lucky idiot that the car wasn’t stolen, other things in my car weren’t stolen, the car windows weren’t smashed.

I just have a very quiet ride ahead of me for a while.
*heavy sad sigh*
* * * * *

And I spoke too soon when I wrote the above. Because when I got ready to leave for a tournament, I thought “I’m glad this event is local, because I’m able to pack light. I’ll just get dressed and pack my rug, chair, and spinning. Oh God! Where’s my spinning!”

And that’s when I noticed that my entire spinning bag was stolen from the car. They must have been interrupted this morning, stealing things. So they grabbed a piece of electronics and a canvas bag that might have goodies inside, and fled.

When I noticed that my spinning bag was gone, I drove around and looked in trash cans, behind bushes, and generally in the neighborhood to see if someone just tossed it in disappointment. But I never found it or any part of it.

In the grand scheme of things, “it’s just stuff.” But it was *my* stuff. And you couldn’t have broken my heart more thoroughly than stealing my spinning stuff.

In this bag were:

The green yarn I was making for my friend who just moved to Hawaii, and I was about to send her maybe 10 more finished skeins, and the spindle I used to make it

The turkish spindle that was a gift from Pamela at a camping event once, and the red silk I spun on it, both fiber and finished yarn

The lucet cord I made from the red spun silk on the Turkish spindle, and the chatelaine I made on the silk lucet cord, with the scissors shaped like a crane, the thimble basket with garnets, and the silver needle case

When I first started spinning, my best friend from college bought an angora bunny just to give me fiber, and I had spun it all with a purple blended merino wool, and all the yarn was finally finished and ready to give to her, and the spindle on which I spun all the angora

The Holy Lands 200-300 BC ancient spinning whorl that was a gift from Eichling, the silk embroidery floss that I spun on this whorl that was a gift for Caelfind, and the silk caps I hadn’t yet finished spinning

The Han Dynasty (202 BC – AD 220) ancient spinning whorl that was a gift from Dayle and Ken, that I had never yet spun with

My lucet, the lucet cords I was making for site favors for Crown Tourney, and all the supplies to keep making more lucet cords

All the lucet cord I had made or was about to finish for my cotehardie costuming (maroon done, blue half done, black and teal yet to start)

The scissors I won in an embroidery contest 19 years ago at my first event ever, and my new extremely sharp mending scissors

The first niddy-noddy that I ever owned, that I made in my garage from scrap wood and painted myself to look like my first spindle ever

All the drawstring bags made by Elyramere in which I kept all my projects

The canvas bag in which all my spinning fit neatly, and even a single bottle of water from the last time I worked on anything from my spinning bag

I’ve cried several times today, telling this story. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s still just stuff.

My plan is to write down all the stories of all these amazingly important pieces that I’ve lost, and I’ll always have the stories and the memories. No one can steal those from me. And I joked that “Well, I’ll be easy to shop for” and “I plan to go shopping” to replace things, but it’s hard to joke about losing such treasures.
* * * * *

When I got to the event, it turned out that there was a major car accident with some friends of mine. They weren’t hurt (other than shock and bruises) and came back from the hospital rather quickly. Their car was totaled, and there was a chain reaction where another friend of mine got her car hit, too. Apparently some lady was either (a) avoiding a bicyclist or (b) reaching for a phone or (c) on heavy migraine medication. Rumors have it that she also totaled her own car last week and hit all our friends today and had her license taken from the cop on the scene.

One friend who had her car hit in the chain reaction today gave me an Afghani spinning whorl, and we cried on each others shoulders together. Thoron agreed to make me another naalbinding needle, and he and his wife insisted it was a gift, and I was NOT to pay them for it.

My friends are wonderful.

So losing my spinning hurts, but I’m extremely thankful that all my friends are well and not hurt. No one I knew in London was harmed in the terrorist attacks this month. All my military family have come home safely from deployment. I have friends and family and a great job and a lovely new apartment. So it was just some stuff, and I’ll survive.

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10 thoughts on “It’s Just Stuff, But It Was MY Stuff”

1. I’d suggest walking the neighborhood, rather than driving it. If they were on foot, you might be able to retrace their steps a little easier and spot if they tossed the bag.

2. Check to see if you can get a new faceplate rather than buying a whole new stereo. They won’t be helpful at a chain store (their goal is to sell you new stuff) but with your incredible online research skills, you should be able to find the info.

🙁 very sorry to read about the bag theft. in this life it’s the personal stuff that’s priceless; the rest is replaceable. however much you blame yourself for leaving the windows open some mean sob still chose to steal from you. here’s hoping your memories/stories help. [[drcay]]

Cat,
So sorry to hear about your things being stolen. To think that the spinning stuff was taken makes little sense to me…unless they thought the bag had other items inside. Glad that you were not hurt and that your car is ok; like you said things like stereos and cloth can be replaced, people cannot. Sounds like your friends are happy to help you replace these items…as gifts—that is sweet of them 😉
~Take care….~~Yvonne

{{{hugz}}} It may be just “stuff” but they were also representations of fond memories. I’m so sorry, hon. I’m glad you are OK and keeping your chin up. Glad everyone involved in the accidents are OK too. What a heck of a way to become a Laurel!

Ah, such wisdom and priorities in one so young! Just like the Mastercard commercial, you can put a pricetag on the electronics, but the spinning things and memories are priceless! I’m amazed by the age of some… makes this old aunt feel young! I hope by this time next year your treasures will either be found or replaced by new ones! So glad you friends weren’t seriously hurt! Yes, your blessings are many… keep counting!
Love, Betty